If you're like me, a beginner NFL fan then you probably don't know too much about the post-season draft or how it works. I myself, have not been following NFL for long and I am now a self-assigned New York Giants fan mainly due to the fact that they are a team I can actually go to the stadium to watch play. If you are a rookie fan who is interested in the sport, despite not being from America that's the approach I would suggest when it comes choosing a team to support. Pick one that you are most likely to see live.
When is the 2018 Draft?
The 2018 NFL draft will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas from April 26-28th.
This will be the 83rd Draft to take place in Franchise history and shall also be the first draft to ever be held in an NFL stadium and the first to be held in Texas. It was announced October 18th last year that the draft will be located in Arlington after 14 cities bid for the rights to hold this year's draft.
What you need to know
The draft consists of seven rounds and all 32 NFL teams have to select one player each round, the order in which they pick is based on the regular season standings. With the teams finishing bottom getting first pick and the Super Bowl Champions, this year Philadelphia Eagles, getting the last pick. The order can be changed given that teams can trade draft positions for either higher/more positions and/or players.
The round concludes when each team has either selected a player or traded their pick, they have 10 minutes to make their decision. Players who are involved in the draft have played college football and there are various ways in which they can earn their place in the draft.
NFL Draft Advisory Board
College players that want to enter the draft but are still actively playing for their college teams can request an opinion from experts from the Draft Advisory board.
They make an informed opinion on where the player should be placed in the draft, therefore, allowing the player to make their decision to enter based on this information.
NFL Scouting Combine
The Scouting Combine is an invitation-only event, which tests college athletes over a six-day assessment period and is held in the Lucas Oil Stadium located in Indianapolis.
NFL coaches, GM's and scouts are in attendance as the prospects undergo physical and mental challenges to prove their worthiness for professional football. A player can raise their 'draft stock' via an impressive performance at the combine.
Pro Day
This is an event that all universities hold for their football teams. It is essentially a similar version of the Scouting Combine but is held for one day at the university campus, this is because it is generally believed that some players will have enhanced performances at their own stadiums compared to the Combine. Smaller universities will join together to host their Pro Days and College teams with a history of harbouring NFL prospects will generate the most interest from scouts.
The 2018 NFL Draft will be broadcast worldwide and I now hope you have the knowledge to understand the ins and outs of the process.
